He Will Not Be Denied
by beautyqueenforbes
Summary: 'Niklaus had never been denied of anything he had desired before, and he certainly wasn't going to allow that to change now. Caroline would be his. He knew it.' Klaus has always been able to repress his humanity, but now, when his lust for a certain baby vampire overtakes him, nothing will stand in his way to getting what he desires the most.
1. A Change in Plans

For a vampire, whether a baby or not, Caroline was particularly reckless. Had she been human, her defiance may have been the death of her a long time ago. However, Klaus was intrigued by her resistance to him. She surely had to know that she was no match for him in any challenge of wit or strength, yet she acted as though he were _her_ inferior. He wanted nothing more than to enlist him in his ranks as his queen, and he imagined that he could trick her into believing that she had true power. And, she would, over his hybrids, yet, in a bond as king and queen, he would still be able to control her.

She fascinated him to no length, and despite his more animalistic side being dominant, when he would rest, he dreamt of her blonde curls bouncing and her blue eyes glittering. It was not enough to dream of how soft her curves would feel beneath his fingertips, or how she would moan and whimper when he would touch her. He had to have her. Niklaus had never been denied of anything he had desired before, and he certainly wasn't going to allow that to change now. Caroline would be his. He knew it.

Perhaps that was how he ended up lounging on the bough of a tree that rested irresistibly close to her bedroom window. He sighed longingly; one day, she would open up that bedroom window for _him_. It drove him absolutely mad to watch his little hybrid visit her every single night, when she wouldn't so much as give him the time of day.

His whipped his head to the side abruptly, a grin slowly spreading across his lips as his little Barbie doll swerved recklessly into the driveway in her little, fuel-efficient car. It was so sweet and comically naïve that she could even fathom the need for such human trivialities, when she was no longer bound to their rules. Hadn't she realized that in this form, she was unable to be denied? Life would be a breeze for her, not only with the ability to compel the narrow-minded creatures that surrounded her, but with her charming looks.

A shock of blonde hair bounced out of the detestable little contraption, as Caroline hoisted two large paper bags up in her arms. With her hip, she forced the driver's side door closed, struggling to get a hold of her keys. Klaus leaned his head over, peering into the passenger side as he searched for his hybrid. If Tyler would have happened to be there, there was no telling what he would do. He may have just torn the child limb from limb as Caroline watched, tears glistening in those beautiful eyes of hers, and then he would take her, then and there, claiming her to be his with no conceivable doubt. Luckily, however, Tyler was nowhere to be seen, which only added to Klaus's elation. It would be just them, alone.

Caroline disappeared into her home, the door slamming shut beside her. With his heightened senses, he could hear the clacking of the heels of her boots as she ascended the staircase to her room. The blinds were closed most of the way, much to his chagrin, but if he would lean at a certain angle, he could see his precious little doll. She tossed one of the bags on her bed – she must have left the other downstairs on the kitchen counter – and a bottle of vodka tumbled out. She seemed not to notice, or rather, she just didn't mind, proceeding to remove her shirt. He licked his lips reflexively as he caught sight of her almost bare back, imaging his fingers digging into to every crevice and contour.

He was so enveloped in his daydreams, that Klaus didn't even notice it when Caroline approached the window. Before he had time to react, she had already opened the blinds. Smiling, she peered out of the window, her eyes scanning the yard.

_Move, you fool!_ Klaus internally scolded himself. However, he was frozen to the spot as Caroline's eyes met his. Without missing a beat, she elicited a piercing, terrified scream, turning to run.

But she was already too late. He had her firmly in his grasp and control, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

**A/N: I apologize for this first installment being so short. At least, in my mind it is. I've wanted to do a Klaroline fic for a while now, and there's plenty more to come. I literally have six other fanfics almost ready for posting. Also, for those of you who have read my ****_Sucker Punch_**** story, 'The Sweetest Repentance', I apologize for not updating in such a long while. I assure you, the next installment is almost ready. Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed this! Please review – every single one is appreciated! You can also find me on Tumblr – my main blog is 'themagicalgirlnextdoor'. I love every single one of you, lovelies! xoxo - Gianna**


	2. His Favorite Girl

Caroline froze abruptly in the midst of her escape, her muscles seeming to lock up. Fear and adrenaline shot through her as she desperately attempted to at least shuffle her feet a little. Alas, her attempts were all in vain, as a sickeningly gorgeous British accent called out, "Turn, love. Slowly, towards me. Meet my eyes, and don't you dare utter a word."

She was almost overwhelmed so much by her desire to defy him that she was afraid she may just pass out right then and there. No matter, her silent wishes and prayers to any higher power that still held her in their favor went unanswered, and she found herself no less than a few inches away from the very person she despised most, her eyes meeting his. She wanted to rip her gaze from his, but he held her in his power. The smirk that spread across her lips sickened her deep down within. He didn't speak for several agonizing moments, relishing in the fact that he had finally caught his feisty little sweetheart in an unbreakable trap, leaving her at his mercy.

Slowly, he began to circle her, amused to no end by the trembling of her shoulders. "Well, well, well," Klaus droned, running his thumb along her collarbone. "What do we have here? Love, don't you know better than to leave your windows and doors unlocked? My, my, you're quite lucky that _I_ was the one to find you." His tone was dripping with a sick amusement. "Just anybody could have put you in this predicament right here. Aren't you just a lucky little thing? Another perpetrator may have seen it fit to beat you, or to ravish you. That just wouldn't be acceptable, sweetheart. I think it's in order for me to reteach you that little lesson. Don't you agree?"

Just then, he released her from his control, braced to force her down if she were to try anything. She whipped around to face him, her fangs bared. "Rot in hell, Klaus!" She yelled, swerving to strike him. He seized her by the wrist, the amusement draining from his features, and she grunted, gritting her teeth as she attempted to struggle out of his hold. It was of no use. "Go fuck yourself," She growled out in one last effort to defy him.

"Gladly," He hissed, though his provocative words didn't quite match his expression. "As long as you're willing to participate." He dug his fingernails into her wrist in fury, though the sight of her beautiful features twisting into that of pain didn't quite satiate him.

"Klaus, stop," She gasped, only provoking him to clench her reddening wrist with even more force. "Klaus, please…s-stop. Please, you're hurting me."

He ignored her pleas, tossing her upon the bed as one would a rag doll. Caroline sat up slightly as raw tears bubbled in her eyes, rubbing her injured wrist. She clenched her legs together, praying that he would not take advantage of her like that, though it seemed inevitable that such an event would occur by the way his lust-filled eyes seemed to consume her.

He began to pace the room, his hands clasped behind his back as he mumbled to himself. He seemed to almost have forgotten about her. She began to stand, being especially careful not to make a sound as she placed a single foot on the floor and pushed herself to her feet with her hands. This could have been her one and only chance to escape him. Although it was foolish to attempt to escape a vampire, particularly when that vampire was an Original, one of the most feared creatures in existence, and he was standing right there, she didn't think she could allow herself to sleep at night if she didn't so much as _try_.

She didn't even make it a mere foot before he tossed back to her bed with just as much ease as he had before. Frightened, she tried to avoid his furious gaze, but it was still clear as day to her in her peripheral vision. "Did I _say _you could get up, Caroline?" He spoke in a patronizing tone of voice, sounding almost like a parent scolding their defiant child. "I don't remember even giving you any sort of command." Suddenly, he was inches from her face, her chin seized between his thumb and forefinger. He forced her to look into his eyes and it became very apparent to her that with a movement that would have been almost as effortless as breathing, she could've tilted her head just a few inches forward and met his lips. "I've been patient with you, love," Klaus spoke menacingly through gritted teeth. "But my patience is about run out."

"What are you talking about?" She stammered, her stomach sinking.

"I'm talking about _you_," He growled, shoving her up against the wall. "I have watched as you pranced around town with that detestable fool you call a boyfriend. You have no conceivable idea what I would have given to rip his heart out. Yet, I didn't do it. Do you know why I didn't do it, Caroline?"

She shook her head fervently, trying to swallow down her tears.

"I didn't do it because of you. I have been kind to you, have I not? I rescued you, on numerous occasions. I came to your home, and when I so easily could have murdered your entire family and stolen you up, I chose to surpass that opportunity, and I went to you. I fed you, Caroline. You wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for me. Yet, you have no appreciation for what I've sacrificed to keep you alive."

"You're a killer, though! I can't love a killer! You've tried to get rid of all of my friends."

"But I didn't. I knew that doing that to you would tear you in two. I knew that you would hate me forever if I took Tyler's life. I thought that maybe you would give me a chance if I spared him. You didn't even bother to try. And now, I'm tired of the rejection, Caroline. This time, I'm not taking no for an answer."

He shoved her away, and she stumbled back into the wall, barely catching herself. "Are you going to kill me?" She whispered meekly.

He met her eyes with a horrified, hurt expression, and she had to admit that her heart ached for him for a moment there. "Of course not," He breathed, true pain swimming in his eyes.

Caroline swallowed, approaching him with slow, deliberate steps. "What are you going to do with me, then?" She pleaded to know the answer, terrified by all of the possibilities that came to mind. Would he make her into his personal slave? Would he drain her of her blood until she was barely alive? Would he force her to submit to his will?

"I'm taking you away from here," He said gruffly, yanking a duffel bag out from beneath the bed. "Somewhere far, far away, where nobody will ever have the audacity to interfere. Just you and I."

"No! Absolutely not!" She screeched in horror, throwing her arms up in the air. "You're nuts if you think I'll go anywhere with _you_."

"You don't have a choice, love," Klaus responded sympathetically, and his eyes met hers.

Before Caroline even knew what was happening, she was on the floor.

**A/N: I didn't expect to update this so quickly, but really, all of you are so sweet! I was kind of overwhelmed by the turnout. I just love you guys to pieces. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but if you wouldn't mind, please review and tell me what you think! Also, find me on Tumblr at 'themagicalgirlnextdoor'! xoxo - Gianna**


	3. Vinegar & Honey

The delectable scent of pancakes cooking wafted up from the kitchen and into the bedroom, nudging Caroline awake and greeting her in the most pleasant way possible. Her heart swelled a little as she indulged in the moment. _Mom's making me breakfast_, she thought excitedly. _She's never made me anything. _

Then, she remembered.

The calm of the house was pierced as though it was glass, and had had a fist taken to it. Caroline sat bolt upright, her chest heaving as her eyes darted wildly about the room. There was nobody standing in the doorway, waiting for her. She was still fully clothed, and there was no blood in the room. There wasn't a particular vampire with gorgeous blonde curls and mesmerizing blue eyes sleeping next to her in her bed.

It couldn't have possibly been just a dream. It had all been too real. She felt as though the ghost of his grip lingered on her arms, and she shivered, skin prickling at the thought. _Stop!_ She scolded herself mentally. _He's a _monster_, Caroline. He's _killed _people. He's killed actual living, breathing, innocent people with families and futures and hopes and dreams. He is not attractive! He is disgusting! _

Still, even with all the strength of her willpower she could muster, she couldn't shake the ominous, eerie feeling that he was all around her, that he was covering her in a blanket of himself. The thoughts that went through her head were overwhelming at that moment, and she was on the verge of panic. Taking several deep, calming breaths she had learned from a yoga class she'd taken a few years back, she twisted her body towards the window.

The tree looked just as it always did. A bird's nest – probably abandoned by now – was perched delicately in between two twisting branches. The leaves fell in the same places, or at least she thought they did. It was raining, and soft, soothing patters came as the raindrops battered her window pane. She could only see _her _car in the driveway.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. She was alone. She was safe; she was…_Wait. _Horror-induced adrenaline burst into her bloodstream, setting off like fireworks in her nerves. _If my car is the only one out there…then who's in here, cooking in my kitchen?_

She couldn't just hide in the closet. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Her childhood blanket and stuffed animals were packed away in the attic, as well as her baby books. To her surprise, her mother had insisted on keeping them. Liz Forbes wasn't the nostalgic, motherly type by any stretch. However, when Caroline had started to donate her old childhood stuff to charity, Liz had intervened. Caroline hadn't just been giving those books away to be charitable. A part of her ached, missing her human life, and those books were just a reminder of what she'd never have again. But Liz was hell bent on Caroline keeping those books, and the sheriff herself had packed them away for safe keeping, for reasons Caroline would never quite understand.

She shook her head, blonde curls whipping about. She steeled herself for whatever would be waiting for her downstairs in the kitchen – though she had a feeling she already knew.

She fought off her inner musings, and slipped out of her bedroom. The wooden staircase seemed imposing and threatening, but she took a step anyway, then another, and another after that. She had almost reached the bottom; the front door in clear sight. All she needed was to slip outside without being detected, and she'd be golden. Her small fist closed around the doorknob, and in her excitement, she pushed a little _too_ hard. The wooden door creaked and sent a loud groan reverberating through the house.

Before Caroline even had the chance to identify the panic that washed over her, two warm, strong arms encircled her waist, roughly yanking her back. "Leaving so soon, love?" She heard, and her shoulders tensed.

He may have had a teasing, lighthearted undertone to his voice, but his face was anything but. She caught sight of his terrifying features in the mirror hanging on the wall. He looked so, so infuriated. His fists were clenched, and his eyes darkened several shades.

"I thought we were clear," He hissed in her ear. "I was under the impression that you weren't so foolish, and you understood that for your life, you needed to cooperate."

"Klaus!" She gasped desperately, frantically clawing at his arms as they rose to around her throat. "Klaus, you're hurting me!"

A nerve was struck there, and the hybrid seemed to relax, his grip loosening. "Ah, I see now," He mused, a curious tone to his voice. "You're _afraid_. And your fear has led you to be irrational. Perhaps, if that is truly the case, I can forgive your audacity."

Under normal circumstances, Caroline would've resisted him, told him that she would never fear him. However, in the moment, she truly was afraid. "Yes!" She stuttered quickly. "I-I'm sorry!"

"Hmm, well then," He said, mumbling something else afterwards that she couldn't quite catch. He whipped her around to face him, his eyes meeting hers. With a rough jerk, Klaus pulled her head back by a fistful of her hair, laughing sadistically. "This never happens again, sweetheart. If you weren't so _precious_, I would have half a mind to end your life here. Do you think you can cooperate from here on out? Do you know your place, Caroline?"

_No. _"Yes! Yes! Just…please…stop hurting me," She pleaded, gasping in relief as he let her body fall to the tiled floors.

"A punishment is still in order, though. You need to learn the difference between saying something, and actually committing to it, Caroline."

"What are you planning to do with me?"

"For now, I am removing you from this drab little town, taking you somewhere where I can fully indulge in you and you in me."

"Where are you planning to take me?" Caroline's hopes plummeted – it seemed that she hadn't escaped his control even in the slightest.

A smirk played on Klaus's lips. "Out of the country, maybe even out of the continent. Europe, Caroline. You'll love it. Didn't you want to see Paris? Rome? Tokyo?"

Defiance shot right back into her. "What makes you think I'll agree to go anywhere with you?" She snapped.

"You don't really have a choice in the matter. I'm not asking you anymore, remember, Caroline? I'm telling you, that tonight, you will be sitting beside me on your way to Europe. Maybe, if you'd be a slight bit more rational, this experience would be much more pleasant for you. You could enjoy the excitement of traveling, on your own free will." He yanked her to her feet, watching her with a hungry gaze. "You still have a chance, love. All you have to do is tell me you will consent to this, and make a good faith effort to enjoy yourself…to get know me, and to enjoy _me_." He clasped her hands in his, falling to his knees, with adoration clear in his expression. "Caroline, if you'd just let me, I'd worship you. Show you things you've never seen before. Make you feel things you've never felt before – things you'll love, and grow to crave. You are beautiful, magnificent, and I have wanted you for so long. So this is your last chance, Caroline. Are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

"No. Never! You will never have me, ever! You can go die in a hole for all I care!" Caroline spat, striking him across the cheek. However, to her shock, he smiled.

"The hard way, then, it seems," He said, coming to stand at his full stature. He could easily overwhelm her if he so pleased. "I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't almost looking forward to this. I _will _make you love me. Even if it's the last thing I do."

"Seems you have a conscience after all, if you didn't lie to me," She snapped, her morale severely weakened. He completely ignored her insult.

"Come, love. I've already packed for you. We're leaving tonight."

**A/N: I'm still so shocked at the response this has gotten! I hope this chapter is up to par with the others. Don't worry; Klaus will eventually show her some compassion. I also wanted to apologize for those that checked my Tumblr and expected chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 to be up this weekend. I was going through some emotional trauma, and I was just so down that I really couldn't muster the stamina to write. But I truly do love sharing my writing with you guys. I know it's been a little slow to start, but I really wanted to emphasize Caroline's hatred for him. Or maybe it's just her funny way of showing affection? ;) Anyways, the part about Sheriff Forbes and Caroline's kiddie stuff will be important soon. Trust me; it'll start heating up more and more with each chapter. Even mercury eventually has to boil, right? **

**Follow me on Tumblr at ****_themagicalgirlnextdoor_****. I will be posting news and such there about this story. And, again, thank you all so much! Your support is so appreciated; I love you guys!**


	4. Slow and Steady Seduction

Caroline sleepily opened her tired eyes, vision blurring as bright, shimmering lights assaulted her. The room itself was dark as night, and she could barely make out the figures of the furniture around her - a chair here, an end table there - but the city lights burst in through the open curtains, illuminating all that its tendrils could reach.

With an unladylike groan, she dragged a pillow over her head and settled back into a comfortable position. The arms wrapped just beneath her bust were warm and gentle, soothing her as she attempted to recall the events of the previous day. _Tyler_. She thought dazedly. Her knight-in-shining-armor was here to protect from the evils of the world. His hands were strong, and although it was a mere touch, his fingertips seemed to convey to her that he truly adored her. As she linked her arms through the spaces between his, Tyler groaned softly and cuddled her closer.

"Tyler, are you awake?" Caroline mumbled groggily, lightly tickling his forearm.

A deep chuckle passed from Tyler's lips, and he snuggled her closer. "Wrong hybrid, love," Tyler murmured.

"Right, right..." She determined that Tyler was too sleepy to talk at the moment, or even to cuddle a little more intimately, so she gave up and started to drift back to sleep.

Then, her eyes fluttered open.

This wasn't Tyler, cuddling her with his lips lightly brushing her shoulder blade. With a shrill shriek, she grabbed the nearest pillow and gave a hard whack to the man sleeping next to her.

"Ow, ow...love...!" Klaus groaned, starting to sit up.

"Get away from me!" Caroline screamed hysterically, continually whacking him with her pillow. "Don't touch me! You're disgusting!"

Suddenly, Klaus's hand was clapped over her mouth, and he yanked her down onto the floor with him. She was having none of that, and she pounded her fists on his chest and struggled violently, her screaming muffled by his hand. Tears streaked her cheeks as her eyes met his patient ones, watching her calmly as she exhausted herself. Her body, tired and spent from her outburst, went limp beneath him, and her chest heaved as his hand moved from her mouth to hold her down at the shoulder.

"Now, now, love..." He cooed sweetly, wiping her tears away with his thumb. "You're safe. Nobody is going to hurt you."

"Except for you, you pig!" Caroline shouted, roughly slamming the palms of her hands against his chest in a futile attempt to push him off. He barely flinched, eliciting the same deep chuckle from earlier.

"I wouldn't anger me at the moment, sweetheart," He informed her, wrenching Caroline to her feet. He found it difficult to support her limp, weakly struggling body as her knees gave out in his arms.

"Get out of my - "

"Shared hotel room?" Klaus finished for her, nodding towards the open window.

It was pure visual poetry as she slowly turned her head towards the window, her lips parting into a little 'O' shape as she took in the sight outside.

Paris.

Motherfucking Paris.

The Eiffel Tower was sinfully near to them, its lights glowing a faint yellow that gave the entire city a dreamy, romantic glow. The harbor sparkled with the same lights, and the streets were more congested with tourists going on a nightly bike ride than cars. Little boutiques and adorable restaurants were still lively, even at the ungodly hour she assumed it was, Parisians and tourists alike striding down the streets in cute little Parisian clothes with big, beautiful Parisian shopping bags.

She wasn't sure whether to hit him, or to throw her arms around him.

Although the sights themselves should've been enough to confirm it, with shaky lips she turned back to Klaus. "Where...where are we right now?" She gasped, trembling.

"Paris, capital of France," He responded nonchalantly, a teasing smirk threatening to burst into full smirk-iness as he watched her expression rapidly change.

"How far are we from Mystic Falls?"

"Roughly 3,917 miles. I could check the hotel Internet for you, if you'd like an exact measurement."

Slowly, Caroline lowered herself onto the end of the bed. "No, no, that's okay..." She whispered in disbelief.

"Didn't you believe me when I told you I would take you to Paris?"

"What?" Caroline sputtered, his words snapping her out of her hazy state of mind.

"Don't you remember? The night of the annual Mikaelson ball, when I showed you my art?"

When her only response was a blank expression, he elaborated for her.

"I bought your dress, and left it in a box on your doorstep. You danced with me, and, after I told you the story of my horse and showed you some sketches, you told me I couldn't relate to people, ripped the bracelet I'd given you for your birthday from your wrist, and if my memory serves me right, you threw it at me."

"I didn't throw it at you."

"If you want to be argumentative, love, I could just compel you to sleep again, and go clothes shopping for you by myself..." He trailed off, the smile he gave her both challenging and menacing.

"What, are you going to give me an empty bag and tell me to go try it on? I know that trick. Tyler's tried it on me too many times to count. I told you I was too smart to be seduced by you."

"Ah, Caroline, darling...I'm a tad more suave and mannered than my pathetic little excuse for a hybrid. I've been around a thousand years; at least give me _some_ credit. I'm familiar with the tricks of the trade. I can do better than an empty bag."

"What, no bag at all?" She snapped flippantly.

Klaus lowered himself onto the bed beside her, watching her with an unnervingly knowing smile. "No, I was thinking more along the lines of throwing your pretty little arse over my shoulder and forcing you into whatever I damn well please." He seized her chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Like my little vampire Barbie doll."

Caroline ripped her chin from his grip, moving to the complete other side of the bed. "If...if I agree to go shopping with you, will you not, um, force me into whatever you damn well please?" She choked on the words, purposely avoiding the 'throw your pretty little arse over my shoulder' part of the threat.

"As long as you behave yourself, you'll find that I can be quite agreeable," He informed her. He watched her disgusted expression for a moment, before nodding towards the bathroom. "Now, if you're positive you've chosen to cooperate, you may go take a shower, and I've left a change of clothes folded neatly on the sink for you to wear."

"Gee, thanks for _allowing_ me to go get a shower," Caroline scoffed.

"Careful, love. I'm still a tad upset over your behavior earlier. I might do something rash and unpleasant if you don't keep yourself in line." His smile could have fooled an unsuspecting passerby into thinking that he was showering her with teasing compliments. With a flip of her hair and a defiant _hmph_, she marched off into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her for effect.

She could hear his laugh penetrate through the door as she began to shimmy out of her jeans. _Pig_. She thought, unsuccessfully attempting to deter all thoughts of how adorable his dimples were, the way his curls fell just so that made her want to entwine her fingers in them, how kissable his lips looked, or how delicious his accent was. Tossing her clothes on the floor, she stepped into the shower and let out a relaxed sigh as the hot water beat down on her.

She stood there for several minutes, the water therapeutic on her bare skin, until the entire bathroom had fogged up. Taking her sweet time, she rubbed the luxuriously scented shampoo into her blonde curls, and let the water rinse it away before repeating the process all over again.

She had just been forgetting the fact that she was trapped in the city of lights with the most powerful vampire in history when the doorknob twisted and Klaus strolled in like it was no big deal. She began to frantically wash herself as she heard the sound of clothing being removed, and the door locking. He turned on the sink and began to splash his face with cold water, preparing for the evening. Her heart began to pound as she swallowed, positive he could hear every rampant beat of her pulse. Suddenly, he pushed the curtain aside and poked his head in. Caroline screamed louder than she'd ever remembered screaming, and she wrapped the shower curtain around her naked body, seconds too late for him to have gotten a good, satisfying glance.

"What in the hell are you doing?" She screamed, throwing a loofah at his head. He easily ducked, smile unwavering at he placed it back on the edge of the bathtub.

"Get out!" She screamed again, unsuccessful in finding something else to throw at him.

To her horror, he actually stepped in.

Completely naked.

She screamed for the third time in the course of ten minutes, her throat growing sore from the repeated action. "What about 'get out' doesn't make sense to you?!" She cried, covering her eyes with both hands.

The shower curtain fell away from her body, and she tried to jump out, grab a towel, and run back into the hotel room before she would have to see anything.

Klaus was having none of that.

He easily pinned her to the wall, pulling her hands away from her face.

"What are you doing?" She cried, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Well, I was sitting there, all alone, thinking," He began. "And I thought to myself, 'What would make this shower faster?' You see, you were taking quite along time in there, and I was afraid that you may have forgotten how to bathe yourself. And seeing as how I needed a shower as well, I thought I could join you and help you. Besides, I was also trying to think up decent punishments that had the potential to be enjoyable for the both of us."

"You're disgusting and I don't need help."

"It's been forty-four minutes, Caroline," Klaus rationalized.

"Touch me and I'll...I'll..."

"You'll what?" Klaus asked, rapidly losing his amusement and his interest in her little game of cat-and-mouse.

"I'll...I'll stake you!" She cried.

Klaus pressed her bare back roughly into the shower wall, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from her. "You are miles away from any sort of help," He began, his voice raising with each word. "You have no weapons. You have no access to the outside world, lest I allow it. You are unable to speak French, and are therefore helpless to survive on your own. Do you think compulsion can transcend language barriers that easily? It takes a strength you simply don't have, love. You have no vervain, and can easily be subjected to my compulsion. So, answer me this - are you really in any position to challenge me?"

Caroline bit down hard into her lip, holding back tears as a sharp whimper escaped her lips. "N-no," She stammered reluctantly, shaking her head, still refusing to open her eyes.

"Good, love. I thought you'd see it my way," He responded, grinning wickedly. "Now be a doll and turn around."

She swallowed down her pride as his grip loosened, and slowly turned so that her back was facing him. Her shoulders tensed as he began to rub circles of soap into her shoulder blades, massaging away the tightness in her muscles. She had to admit, he was good. Very good. As his fingers went lower and lower on her back, she noticed that he had only been squirting liquid soap into his bare hands and rubbing it in. A thought dawned on her and before she could think, she blurted, "Klaus, you wouldn't - "

She caught herself just in time, but the damage was already done. His fingers paused in a place that made it very, very hard to focus, and he leaned in so that his lips were mere centimeters from her ear. "Wouldn't what, love?" He asked curiously.

Caroline's breathing hitched, and time seemed to still momentarily. "You wouldn't...take advantage of me, would you?" She managed to choke out, the words sickening her to hear aloud.

"Take advantage of you?" Klaus repeated incredulously. His resumed his maddening ministrations into her lower back. "Love, do you truly believe that I would behave so lowly as to take advantage of any woman? Especially you, Caroline."

"Especially me?" Caroline scoffed. "Why _especially_ me?"

"Because of all woman in the world, you're the only one who has not given me the desire to hurt them," He responded, and she swore she could hear the smile playing on his lips. "Caroline, don't you realize that? I wish no harm to you, especially by my hand. If only you would realize that if you'd only give in to what your heart and body is telling you you want and need, the furthest thing from your mind right now would be the fear that I would hurt you."

"If you don't want to hurt me, then why won't you just take me back home to Tyler?" She whispered, immediately regretting her words and his grip tightened exponentially.

"Because, that isn't what you really want, Caroline."

"How would you know what I want? You don't know anything about me."

"Turn around, love."

Begrudgingly, Caroline swiveled on her heel to face him, refusing to meet his eyes as he began to work his fingers around her collarbone and shoulders. "Well? For once, has the high and mighty hybrid have nothing to say?"

"I know far more about you than you think," Klaus said, hypnotizing Caroline with the sinful movement of his lips as he spoke.

"Like what? You haven't even taken the time to get to know me," She spat.

"On the contrary, love. I have utilized every opportunity to familiarize myself with you," He informed her, working his way down her body. With each movement, his fingers drifted closer to her bust. "You've never really had parents. Your mother has always been too consumed with her work to care for her daughter, and your father was absent altogether in your life. Or, he might as well have been. You don't think you're good enough, and although you've been friends with her since kindergarten, you resent Elena for being the one that everybody seems to want. You're on a do-or-die mission to organize the world, and you're regarded as Mystic Falls' best party planner. Your biggest accomplishment was winning the coveted title of Miss Mystic Falls, and sometimes, you put on that sash and relive that day because it was your proudest moment. You want somebody who wants you for more than just your body - you want someone who's eager just to wake up next to you. The day you woke up as a vampire after Katherine smothered you to death with a pillow in the hospital still haunts your nightmares, and it seems like the enemies always go after you. You're one hell of a cheerleader, and a lovely dancer. You own over fifty pairs of heels alone - but you're afraid of that people will peg you as weak because you have a shoe fetish. You love baking, and you love the warm feeling of the sun on your skin. And although you get along with him now, you think Damon Salvatore is the biggest douche in Mystic Falls. Shall I continue?"

"Maybe I was wrong," Caroline mumbled reluctantly, letting out a high-pitched squeal as his fingers finally made contact with her breasts. He looked into her eyes at that moment as his touch lingered on her bare breast, and she met his. Her heart sped up, and time slowed down.

"I can finish washing myself the rest of the way," She murmured suddenly, grabbing his hand.

"As you wish," Klaus responded, and he turned and began to wash his own body. Her eyes lingered on the sight.

She had to admit, he was an attractive man. He had strong, well-contoured muscles, broad shoulders, and a powerful stance. She wasn't even going to go into his face, either.

"Are you ogling me, Caroline?" Klaus asked, still turned away. She broke out of her dazed state of mind and turned away, quick to pick up where he'd left off. Her skin prickled, knowing that he'd seen - and touched - her naked body, and that his was only feet away from hers. Guilt prickled beneath her skin, and although it hadn't gone anywhere, she felt as though she'd cheated on Tyler in a way.

"In your dreams," She snapped, angrily focusing her attention on a peeling piece of dried caulk in between two wall tiles that she suddenly found interesting. His chuckle only angered her more, and she began to furiously wash the remainder of her body.

"Is that so?" Klaus murmured, tossing his washcloth to the side as he stepped out of the shower, fully cleansed. As he turned to head out into the main room to dry his hair, he left her with one last sentiment: "Don't keep me waiting, Miss Mystic Falls."

**A/N: Wow, it feels like it's been forever since I last updated this. Somehow, I haven't been in the mood to write, but for some reason, the writing bug bit me today. This is the longest chapter thus far - I wanted to make it special since I haven't updated in so long. In the past three chapters, I've depicted Klaus as forceful, and in this one, I wanted to show the side of him that teases Caroline, and makes her feel things she's reluctant to feel. Originally, I planned to set this chapter in the airport, but somehow, completely unplanned, I ended up with a shower scene. I know - I'm teasing you in this chapter. I hope that what's to come is worth the teasing. Anyway, I'm going to try to write the fifth chapter tomorrow morning - even I'm excited to see where this goes. I wanted to thank every single last one of you that reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. Your support means the world to me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please, tell me what you think!**

**For updates and the occasional sneak peek, please follow me at my Tumblr, themagicalgirlnextdoor. - xxx Gianna  
**


	5. Wolf and Mouse

The scents of perfume and hairspray wafted out into the hotel room, where Klaus patiently waited for Caroline Forbes. He had been listening intently from the other side of the door, expecting to hear the click of the lock on the window at any given moment. Though, he had to admit that he was enjoying listening to her singing a Broadway-worthy rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

As the steady patter of the water on the shower floor had come to an abrupt halt, he'd backed away from the door and taken to lounging on the end of the single bed in the room. He had been dead set on having only one bed; his intentions to urge Caroline into warming up to him were always at the forefront of his thoughts. The moments of intimacy he'd shared with her were only the beginning. Soon enough, he'd wind his hands in those beautiful, bouncing blonde curls, and he'd experience her small, delicate ones tugging on his curls. It was only a matter of time.

Now, though, anxiety was leaking into his calm state of mind - one which both his siblings and Stefan Salvatore would agree was rather rare - as the entire area lapsed into a dead silence. Although she was a small thing, he would never underestimate the tenacity and fire the feisty little thing packed. It wasn't a wonder why she oversaw every community gathering with an iron fist and zero tolerance for mistake.

"Love, are you alright?" He called, moving to the door. He pressed his ear to the door, and was met with no answer whatsoever.

He was filled with a mixture of anger to think that she may have given him the slip, and worry to think that she may have been hurt. "I'm coming in, Caroline," He called again, twisting the knob.

It was locked.

If she believed that a mere lock would keep him out, she was gravely mistaken. It might buy her a few seconds of time, but even her supernaturally heightened speed wouldn't get her far enough away in that time.

With a movement as effortless as breathing, Klaus slammed his knee into the door, catching it before it could crash to the floor with a resounding crack. "Caroline?" Klaus called again, wanting to give her the benefit of the doubt. A cool breeze blew over him, and he took a deep breath of the fresh air. He could still smell her - she was moving, but she was close.

Making sure the room key was still in the pocket of his overcoat, he eased himself up onto the sill of the open window and descended out into the night.

"Caroline? If you give this silly little game up, I'll consider letting this one go, love." He sauntered into the dank alleyways of Paris, his eyes easily adjusting to the darkness. "Come on, love. We both know that you don't stand a chance against me. I could easily snap your neck if I so pleased. The choice is yours, Caroline."

The only response he received in return was a gust of wind and the slap of flip flops on pavement.

"Alright, then, love. I suppose I'm left with no choice."

Klaus moved with a silent, elegantly dangerous speed through the alleyways, narrowly avoiding overturned trash cans and open manholes. The sound of her breathing and the smack of her shoes gradually became louder and louder, the sounds too soft for any mortal's ears to pick up. And before long, a shock of blonde hair whipped around the corner nearest to him.

It took three, maybe five, seconds to reach her. He clapped his hand firmly over her mouth and yanked her back into his hold. He admired her defiance to some degree; many of his hybrids wouldn't even utter an adverse word in Klaus's presence. She screamed, her breath hot on his palm. As he threw her lithe body into the air and caught her in his arms, she buried her fangs deep within the flesh of his hand. The sudden pain was unexpected, but certainly bearable.

He gave a sharp tug to her hair, and as she screamed in agony, her fangs retracted and the open puncture wounds began to seal themselves.

"I'm not sure whether to congratulate you on your boldness or to pity your stupidity, love," He spoke calmly, carrying her back towards the hotel. A shiver ran through Caroline's body, and gently, in a manner than almost distracted her from the wrath she would surely face, Klaus wrapped a side of his jacket around her.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" She wailed, kicking slightly and catching him in the crook of his elbow.

"Now, don't tell me you really want to pass up the opportunity to see Paris?"

"Not with you! I should...I should be here with Tyler! He's the one I love, not you! Not ever!"

_Smack._

A string of whimpers were carried on the wind as Klaus slammed her roughly into the brick wall surrounding them on either side. "Tyler?! You want to be here with _Tyler_?!" He yelled.

"Yes! Yes! Please, Klaus, you're hurting me!"

Caroline refused to meet his eyes, swallowing down her tears. _I won't let him see me cry. _Wasn't Tyler who she wanted? She had dedicated one hundred and ten percent of herself to him, and him alone. They were supposed to have a future together. They would always be on the run, lives will with passion and danger at every turn. He would be there to protect her every step of the way, wouldn't he?

Slowly, she opened her eyes, the realization hitting her that Klaus had fallen silent. His fingers still dug into the delicate flesh of her arm, but his eyes had fallen to gaze solemnly at the cobbled path. To her shock, a tear slid down his cheek.

She was afraid to speak, feeling as though she had a first-row seat to witness Klaus's heartbreak. She could see the hurt dancing in his eyes. "What else do I have to do, Caroline?" He whispered, the sound so faint that she had to strain to identify what had been said. "I take you to Paris. I tell you what none of those boys will ever say to you - the truth about how beautiful you are. I bring you jewels that were worn by the most noble of princesses. I would do anything for you. Take you anywhere. Say anything. And it's never enough. Nothing is enough. Caroline, what do you want that I'm not giving you?"

Caroline's head swam with emotion. She was terrified to speak, afraid that whatever she would say would only upset him further, yet, she didn't know what she would say in the first place. She swallowed the lump in her throat, squirming slightly in his hold. "Klaus...Klaus," She gasped. He lifted his head, finally meeting her eyes. "You're hurting me. Please...please let me go."

Reluctantly, he released his hold on her arms, and she slipped to the pavement.

"Do you truly want to go home, Caroline? Is that what you really want?"

She slowly started to push herself to her feet, unsure of how to answer. Her logical mind screamed at her to say yes, but somehow, she couldn't bring herself to say the words that would surely be the death of him. "No, no...I mean, I don't know what I want," She stammered. She wrapped her arms around herself in a sort of hug, rubbing her mostly bare shoulders. The dress he'd left for her was the most beautiful she'd ever worn, and she'd worn some very, very beautiful dresses in her short lifetime. It was definitely the most comfortable she'd ever worn. She was surprised that he'd chosen such a modest dress for her to wore, but then again, he'd lived in the time before chivalry had died. It was a steely, deep shade of blue (she was beginning to think he preferred her in that color) and the skirt hung in soft ruffles down to a few inches above her knees, every other ruffle being a pure white. The only thing it had in the way of a sleeve was a panel of sheer navy blue fabric over her right shoulder, embroidered with an intricate pattern of bead work in long, thick, serpentine swirls. Thinking of it, it reminded Caroline of a way to change the subject.

"Klaus...Klaus, I'm wearing the dress you left for me," She tentatively said.

He ran a single finger along the fabric covering her left hip, a faint smile on his lips. "It was worn by a duchess two or three decades ago. Her subjects said that she outshone the princess with her beauty, but she wasn't nearly as lovely as you."

"You've used that line before."

"Have I?"

"The one where I'm more beautiful than someone? Yeah, you have."

He chuckled, shaking his head as he swung her up into his arms. "It isn't a line if it's the truth."

Watching him now, as he began to carry her back, she wasn't sure what of the past few days had been real, and what had been a dream. The lines of reality had begun blurring in her head. To calm her nerves, she began to sing "Baby, It's Cold Outside" again.

"Isn't it a little early for Christmas, love?" He asked, and the heat rushed to her cheeks.

"It doesn't _have_ to be a Christmas song, you know," She snapped indignantly. She folded her arms over her chest. "It's almost winter; it's cold enough outside."

"But you do know that it's intended to be sung as a duet, don't you?"

"Are you implying that I let you join me?"

"Maybe. What would you say if I was?"

"I doubt you can even sing."

"I can do many things that you aren't aware of."

"I'm sure." She rolled her eyes, tensing as the stature of the hotel rose up above the horizon line. "You know, you still owe me a dinner."

The way he looked at her then melted away any doubts that his earlier display of emotion had been more than a figment of her imagination.

"I don't _owe _you anything. You'd do well to remember that I'm controlling your fate here, lest you wish to repeat the incident at your house? I'll give you a pass this time, but if you keep it up, my temper may just get the best of me." He seized her chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look at him. "I'm sure I don't need to ask if you understand. Now, Caroline, love...on another note, would you do me the courtesy of allowing me to have you for dinner?"

"Are you asking if you can infect me with your hybrid venom again, or are you asking me to eat with you?"

"That's up to you, sweetheart." He glanced at her feet and wrinkled his nose. "Though, either way, you'll need to wear something more appropriate for shoes. You actually call this flimsy little thing footwear?"

"It wasn't exactly the most...never mind." She didn't want to conjure his rage from earlier.

"Once we get back, don't dally - we've already lost far too much time with this little stunt you pulled."

"I'll have you know, I can change rather quickly."

"Don't be petulant, love. Or maybe I might just make you indulge in different sort a duet with me."

Caroline shuddered in disgust. "Again...in your dreams."

"You should know better than anyone, Caroline, that sometimes dreams are just crazy enough to come true. Especially for our kind."

"Don't act like we're one in the same. We couldn't be more opposite."

Klaus only shook his head and smiled. "Soon, love. Soon you'll see." Leaving that ambiguous statement hanging in the air, he gently placed a kiss on her forehead, and ducked back into the shadows once again.

* * *

**A/N: Whoa! Two chapters in the course of three days? Unheard of! I was really testing the flow of the story here - does it seem to flow well to all of you? Well, I suppose I'll see. I'm not too sure about this one - I think I just wanted to give us another piece of Klaus. I'm thinking next chapter is far too due for a good, steamy moment. Don't you? Also, on a side note, the dress is loosely based off of one from the company Oasap. If you're ever bored, try and see if you can find which one (hint: It's $107 and you can find it under dresses!) Well, tell me what you think, and as always, I love all of you! xxx - Gianna**


	6. Just When She Was Getting Comfortable

With every solitary moment that passed, Caroline was wishing more and more that she would have begged him to take her home right that instant when he had asked her earlier. Yet, here she was, sitting in what was hands down the nicest restaurant - scratch that; it was the nicest _place_ - she had seen in her entire life, with a pathological serial killer in a dress he had left as her only option to wear, forking tiny spirals of pasta into her mouth. The platter on which the antipasti rested was placed in the center of the table between herself and Klaus, and as he moved to stab a piece of brie-style cheese, she jabbed her own fork into the very same piece and popped it into her mouth with a triumphant smile.

That smile faded quickly, however, as he laughed in return, opting for a thin slice of soppressata instead. He nodded to her small appetizer plate as he swallowed, dabbing at the corners of his mouth with the white napkin that had been folded into the shape of a swan only a few moments earlier.

Pretentious asshole.

"Love, you insisted on that spaghetti. You shouldn't let it go to waste." They'd been arguing back and forth over the spaghetti when they'd first been handed their menus. Klaus had diplomatically informed her that while they were in the exotic city of lights, she shouldn't remain so attached to what she was familiar with, that she should try and broaden her horizons. He'd said all this wearing his trademark smirk, and throwing in a completely unnecessary eyebrow waggle at the end.

Two could play at that game.

Caroline had snapped back that she didn't even want to be there, and he wasn't being very gentlemanly by insisting on what she ordered. She'd reminded him that he was, as she put it, "loaded" and that he was most certainly not her father.

He'd left her with the most shocking remark yet.

"Of course not, Caroline. A father wouldn't even dream of doing to his daughter what I'm imagining doing to you."

She gasped indignantly, and kicked him under the table, making sure to catch him in the shin with the sharp stiletto point of her matching, clumsy blue pumps he'd given her. He showed no sign of falter, however, he caved and allowed her to order what she wished, adding in one last comment about all he had been doing was 'suggesting'. Another heartbreaking smile.

Caroline Forbes was positive her fist would be making contact with a certain hybrid's nose before the night was over.

And now, Klaus gazed at her with wonderment as she failed to pretend she did not notice.

"Would you stop doing that?" She groaned melodramatically, stabbing a slice of cheese with more force than necessary. "It's...it's creepy."

"It's either I stare at you for the rest of the night, or you can finally engage in some friendly banter with me. Your choice."

"Asshole." She muttered under her breath, huffing. "What do you want to talk about?"

"You."

"You picked that last time I asked you that question. Try again."

"Alright, then. I'd like to talk about Caroline Forbes."

"You don't give up, do you?"

"I'm not particularly known for it, no."

"I'll make you a deal, then, Klaus."

He leaned forward on the table, tapping his fork against his forefinger, obviously intrigued.

She took a deep breath, and quickly ushered the statement before she lost her nerve: "You tell me something about yourself - honestly - and I'll answer truthfully to any question you ask me."

"Alright, then, love. As you wish." He quirked a slight smile, making her insides flutter. "Ladies first."

"You're _such_ a gentleman," She replied sarcastically, throwing in a roll of her eyes for the added effect. "Alright, then. Who is the woman in the first sketch you showed me?" Caroline had decided to start small.

"She was a young, fair woman whom I'd met in 1502. She came of privileged, wealthy family, and she had been born into a now long extinct lineage of witches. She'd crafted many a charm for me, and a few centuries later, I came to thinking about her, and I sketched her as tribute to her lost memory."

"What was her name? What did she die of?"

"Sofia. She died from infection - she'd cut herself one day on her spinning needle, and it only gradually grew worse and worse..."

"Why didn't you save her?"

"Because some people don't want to be saved, Caroline."

She started to open her mouth again, but he shook his head. "Ah, ah, ah, Caroline," He tutted, placing a slender finger to her lips. "That was four questions - it's long overdue for my turn, love. A deal's a deal."

_Damn it._

"Alright, then. I guess you get four questions then, too."

"When you were a little girl, what had you wanted to be when you were older?"

She was thankful that he had started small, too. That is, until she conjured up the answer to his question. The memory was a fond one, but at the moment it was unwelcome. Her cheeks burned crimson, and she had to turn her head away to be able to answer honestly. The calamari seemed to be watching her with eyeless, judging stares.

"A fairy princess ballerina," She coughed, and when she caught his expression in the impeccably shiny plate set before her, she wanted to die of humiliation.

"Shut up. You probably wanted to do something embarrassing too when you were younger, didn't you?"

"My turn, remember, love?" Though she could tell she'd hit a nerve, and she was itching to exploit it. "How about your favorite color?"

That was an easy one. She squared her shoulders, and with a proud smile, she announced, "Pink." It had always been pink. Ever since when in kindergarten, her teacher had given her the last and only pink frog sticker. She'd stuck it on her cheek and worn it with a beaming smile. She'd actually been smiling so much that she almost ripped it in half. Luckily, she was able to salvage it, and she recalled that it was still on the front cover of her diary, standing strong even after all these years of migrating from notebook to notebook.

"Why pink, of all colors?" He was smiling, and it seemed he was very enthralled with her. She quickly shook that notion away, however. This was Klaus. He wasn't a good man, and she doubted he had a nostalgic bone in his body. He was probably only playing with her in an attempt to get at Elena.

"Is that the third question?"

His lips twitched at the corner as he debated, but finally, he slowly nodded and looked to her expectantly.

She relayed her memory to him, and she found the smile he wore - not a predatory one, nor one of overconfidence - was both unnerving and warming at the same time. He seemed...happy.

"Alright, last question." She said, folding her arms over her chest, as she fought off the notion that she shouldn't be sharing her childhood memories with Klaus. Somehow, though, she couldn't find it in herself to think him undeserving of a little friendly conversation. And that was all it was, wasn't it? She was having fun, and she wasn't eager to end it so soon.

He had to make it worth his while, but there was so much he wanted to learn about her. He could spend the rest of his life peeling away layer after layer of Caroline Forbes, and he would still never get enough. Still, the question he was dying to know was too much right now, and seeing her beaming smile and glittering blue eyes, he wasn't going to chance losing such a rare moment. "You wouldn't happen to have a favorite...fairytale, would you?"

Another easy one. "Beauty and the Beast."

"Care to elaborate, sweetheart?"

"Why it's my favorite? Oh, that's easy. It's about loving somebody, no matter how many flaws they have. The prince is this monster, and even though he is this horrible, selfish person who has done all these awful things, Belle learns to love him, because they're meant to be together. They learn from each other, and even though they have all the reason in the world to, neither of them give up on love. That's the kind of love I want. Something unconditional."

She blushed, realizing she'd been rambling, and as she shook her blonde curls out, she mumbled, "At least, that's what I think." She shoved another forkful of pasta into her mouth, trying to calm her racing mind.

"It's your turn."

She looked up again, tapping her toe as she tried to think of a good question.

"I can't think of one..." She admitted, drumming her fingers on the table.

"That's alright, love. You have all night to think of something. I'm sure you can do it." Klaus stood, offering his hand to her. "Come, Caroline. We'll have dessert at home." He shot her a devilish smile, and despite her better judgement, she took his hand. There was no turning back now.

* * *

Caroline dropped another few ice cubes into her champagne flute, dressed in one of Klaus's black shirts and her own plaid pajama pants. Again, she was surprised at how well he had chosen her wardrobe as not to cause her discomfort. When she'd looked in her suitcase, she'd found plenty of modest pants, but she couldn't say the same for most of the shirts, which emphasized her...assets. Maybe he was being nice to her, but he was still a man, and in Caroline's experience, all men were perverts to some degree.

So she'd taken it upon herself to dig through Klaus's stuff for one of his shirts. The one she'd chosen didn't fit well - it was noticeably bigger on her than it would have been on him - but it was definitely comfy. He was definitely going to be at least a little shocked when he came out of the shower to find her wearing his stuff.

As she took a long, luxurious sip of the expensive champagne, Caroline tossed her wet curls over her shoulder and sauntered back over to Klaus's suitcase. If she was going to do this, she would go the whole nine yards. She quietly sorted through his clothes, finding all sorts of things she hadn't even expected him to know existed. There were beautiful, exotic necklaces with impeccable bead work and strong, sharp teeth of some ancient animal that was probably long since extinct. Many of them were made of hemp; there were very few constructed with actual metal chains. Beneath those, she found his boxers and briefs, folded neatly. Somehow, she had the feeling that Rebekah had contributed to the organization in his suitcase. If she even dared to wear one of those, she was sure that his undead heart would stop, if it could.

It was an absolute yes.

Just as she'd plucked a nice, black silken one from the depths of his luggage, she caught sight of a faint glow peeking out through the pocket of a pair of slacks. Caroline warily glanced at the bathroom door, quickly snatching the cell phone that had materialized the light before he could have the chance to catch her in the act. A little symbol in the bottom left-hand corner signalized that he'd set the ring to silent, and, with a little fumbling of controls, she found that Tyler was actually calling right that very moment. Her breathing hitched. That must've been why the phone had suddenly turned on.

Tyler was calling for her. Tyler was going to demand Klaus return her to Mystic Falls.

Without hesitation, she tapped the 'answer call' button, ready to say a cheery greeting and thank him for caring about her like he always did.

To her surprise, as soon as the conversation clicked to a start, he began to talk.

"Klaus, it's Tyler. Look, I know you're probably busy, and I know you have Caroline. But before you hang up, I don't want her back; I - "

"Are you coming back to bed, Tyler?"

Caroline's heart sank. That was Hayley talking. Why was Tyler with Hayley? In bed, of all places? She opened her mouth to speak, but her tongue felt like sandpaper and her throat felt as dry as cotton. She only produced a hoarse gasp.

"Yeah. Go wait for me, babe."

"See you in a minute, hottie. Don't forget the scotch; you know which one I like best."

Tyler chuckled, and a soft smooching sound came over the speaker, before footsteps padded off to some unknown destination.

"Love you, too!" He called, before engaging in the conversation again. "Listen, I don't have long, but, man, you have to help me. Caroline can't come back yet. If she finds out about me and Hayley...she'll rip me limb from limb. But it's been too long, and Hayley's now and I can't think about anything - or anyone - else when I'm with her...why am I telling you this? Just...please. Don't let Caroline know. I don't even know how to break it to her yet."

Time seemed to suspend itself for a few long moments, and Caroline could feel her eyes dampen.

"Why?" She finally croaked. "Because you aren't enough of a man to tell me that you're just a slut?"

"Caroline." Tyler inhaled sharply, and she could imagine the wheels turning in his head as he tried to figure out how to backpedal himself out of this one. "Look, I - "

"Don't lie to me!" She screamed hysterically, tears rushing down her cheeks as if some internal dam had been broken.

"Caroline, please. I never meant to - "

"I don't even want to see you again! Liar!"

"I was just going to trick Klaus into giving you back, and I didn't know - "

"Stop lying to me! Stop it! Just stop it, Tyler! Maybe I don't even want to come back, either! I don't need you, or Elena, or Damon, or anyone! Don't compare yourself to Klaus! You...You aren't even half the man he is! You douche bag! I hope you get staked!"

"Caroline. I...I didn't want you to find out this way."

Caroline took a deep breath, her mind racing as she tried to recall any signs in the past that had indicated this would happen. Tyler was a selfish lover. He took what he wanted when he wanted, with no regard for anyone. And how easily had he brought Hayley into his life? He'd lied to her face, and if it hadn't been for her being in the right place at the right time, she never would've heard Klaus's comment on Tyler's time in Appalachia. It was all there, and she'd been too blind to see that the stage was already set.

"You're dead to me."

She heard him stammer as he began to speak again, and she pounded her thumb onto the 'end call' button, chucking the little device at the couch. Without even looking up, she slumped down on the couch and buried her tear-streaked face in a pillow. She jumped when a hand clamped down on her shoulder.

He would be so mad at her. Fear rose up in her, until she felt how gentle his touch was. How his thumb massaged at the tension built up in her shoulders, and how he shushed her in such a sweet, loving way.

"Klaus?" She breathed, refusing to let him see her as such a mess.

"I'm sorry he did this to you, Caroline. If I'd have known he would be so foolish as to let you go...I never would have let him hurt you."

"Klaus?"

"Yes, love?"

"Don't leave me. Not now."

The couch cushions shifted as he sat down beside her, bringing her to rest upon his chest. She sobbed into his fresh, clean shirt, and he stroked his hand through her thick blonde tresses.

"This is all your fault," She sobbed, blotchy images of a bleeding Hayley drifting in the back of her mind.

Klaus tensed, prepared to defend himself, but seeing her in such a broken state made him think otherwise. Besides, she had begun to elaborate on her claims without his coaxing.

"If you would've just left in Mystic Falls, Tyler would've never resorted to that stupid _slut_." She sniffled, her tears dampening the shoulder of his shirt.

"Love, I hate to make a bad situation worse, but...Tyler has been occupied with the wolf girl for longer than you think."

Caroline paused for a moment, her eyes bleary as she thought it over. Suddenly, she shoved him away and stood up abruptly. "I changed my mind. I don't want to even see you right now." She sauntered away into the bathroom, tossing one last glare over her shoulder. And with that, she slammed the door.

* * *

**A/N: Well, so much for my plan to update everyday over Thanksgiving break. I've been working on this for a while but I never had the chance to finish it until now. I wasn't so sure about the beginning, but I really wanted to indulge a few of my headcanons. Also, don't think that the Tyler obstacle has been removed completely. Our favorite douche bag will back. I really hope to make this story more dynamic, and flash a more dramatic plot in the next chapter. Plus, with this chapter, even though it's not my favorite, I wanted to take away Caroline's reasons to deny Klaus. Before, she could say that she was being faithful to Tyler, but now, our favorite Vampire Barbie will ask the question Klaroline fans are dying to have her ask: What's holding me back now? Anyways, review, review, review! The more reviews I get, the faster I write. It's like air to me - I might just collapse if you don't. Wow, that was pretty awful self promotion. Oh, well. Tell me what you think! And for updates here and there, and soon to be sneak peeks, check out my Tumblr, 'themagicalgirlnextdoor'! - xoxoxo Gianna****  
**


	7. Darker Places

Caroline had spent all but five minutes of the past three hours secluded in the hotel bathroom, sans all but a measly terrycloth robe, a cozy pair of frog-embellished pajama pants, and a half-emptied bottle of cinnamon schnapps (which were, over all, pretty terrible). She'd managed to create her very own 'Camp Caroline' for the night. The enormous Jacuzzi tub was overflowing with pillows and blankets she'd stripped from the bed, leaving a shivering Klaus to his own devices on a bare mattress, and she'd even managed to wire the telephone beneath the door. Thus, the five minutes she had used to ignore Klaus in all ways, shapes, and forms possible, and retrieve the room service she'd ordered when it came.

Klaus, on the other hand, had taken to pacing the balcony overlooking the Paris skyline, regretfully turning to the Eiffel tower, its lights twinkling from afar. He'd personally never let himself live it down if he didn't take her to the top; after all, the Eiffel tower was the very staple of Paris itself. It'd been a constant in his life for a while, an anchor compared to the hectic days he had lived and survived through. It, with a certain witch, had been something he'd made a point to visit each time he returned.

The witch, aptly named Esmeralda (Klaus had always thought it a particularly witch-y name), had assisted him through some sticky spots in the past with her impressively strong magic ability. There had been yet to be a case that Esmeralda didn't have a spell to solve. He was sure that she had to have something for bouts of overwhelming emotional weakness, too.

Thus, at the present moment, Klaus came to stand before the hotel bathroom door, a resigned sigh passing his lips. If he started to relent, both guilty and lustful thoughts of Caroline would come to him, and he wasn't sure if he could stop himself from going in there and claiming her.

In the words of Phoebe Buffay, his sister's most beloved television character, she was his lobster.

Caroline just didn't know it yet.

But that would all change soon, wouldn't it? That had been Klaus's original motive behind kidnapping Miss Forbes and dragging her off to Paris. If Klaus was anything, he was certainly persistent. It was only a matter of time until things went his way.

He couldn't wait a moment longer. "Caroline?" He called softly, tapping his knuckles against the wooden door.

"I said I didn't want to see you, you dick!" She screeched from the other side, and the sound of glass shattering came as she chucked a vase of lilies and baby's breath at the door. Water began to seep out from underneath, and Klaus internally groaned.

"Must things always go the hard way with you?" He sighed. "Caroline Forbes, you have four seconds to open this door, or so help me, I will come in there and snap your pretty little neck, love."

The door remained locked and shut.

He counted down in his head, leaving a little breathing room between each numeral. If it had been anybody else, he wouldn't have allowed them the kindness, but here he was dealing with a heartbroken girl. Such matters needed to be handled delicately.

"One," He breathed, the word barely audible. He formed his hand into a fist, slamming his knuckles into the very center of the door - the weakest point. The wooden object groaned and swayed before it collapsed on the tiled floor with a slam. His eyes met Caroline's fearful ones. She had curled herself up into the corner of the room, her blonde curls spilling into the bathtub. A brush, snapped in half, rested nearby, little pale yellow strands of hair entangled in it. She'd balled her dress up in the bathroom sink in a rather unceremonious way, and in her hands she clutched her cell phone, a white mug of coffee sitting beside her.

"Are you really gonna break my neck?" Her voice trembled.

"No," Klaus sighed, sitting down at her side and slinging his arm around her shoulders. Just then, a little ding sounded from her phone.

He glanced at the tiny screen; it was a three-way chat with Bonnie Bennett and Elena Gilbert. It appeared that for the past half hour, Elena and Bonnie had been reassuring Caroline of what a douche bag Tyler was.

'He's just a douche bag,' Elena had sent.

'No, he's THE douche bag,' Bonnie corrected.

'He's the king of douche bags, actually.'

'Should we have a crowning ceremony for him?'

'Nobody likes a man whore.'

'He's worse than the vampire gigolo.'

On and on it went, as the girls dissected every solitary flaw of Tyler's until Caroline finally admitted that none of it had been making her feel better.

Klaus tried to remember what Rebekah had done with her entourage of friends when one had had their heart broken. Granted, it had been a very different time. Instead of holing up in the bathroom, they would sit in the parlor in a circle and sip tea between swipes of a monogrammed silk handkerchief.

"He doesn't deserve you," He reassured quietly. Caroline glanced at him with bleary red eyes, sniffling deeply. She tossed her cell phone onto the rug laid out in the bathroom, watching as it clattered against the tile beneath, ultimately unharmed.

"I'm not letting you spend the rest of time together wallowing in despair over...how did our dear Elena put it? That's right. The king of douche bags."

"What else do you want me to do?" She grumbled.

"Get up, and get dressed. I'm taking you out."

"We just came back from dinner and - " Caroline began to protest, but Klaus held up his hand.

"This is our second-to-last day in Paris, and I'll be damned if you don't see the Eiffel Tower before then."

"Where else are we going after Paris?"

"Doesn't matter now, does it, love? Now hurry up; you're wasting moonlight, love."

* * *

Caroline stumbled behind Klaus as he power-walked, his long, lean legs moving at a speed only slightly lessened than that of his full ability. He clutched her hand tightly, as though he were afraid he would lose her had he let go, guiding her through the dank, dreary backstreets of Paris. The very same streets of of which Caroline had made her unsuccessful escape through earlier.

"I thought you said we were going to the Eiffel Tower?" Caroline asked innocently, weakly attempting to make idle conversation.

"Patience," He replied sharply, though, she tried to imagine he'd thrown a smirk, 'love', and maybe even an eyebrow waggle in with it. Even his most annoying quirks were preferable to this.

"What else is in Paris?" She asked, continuing to chatter on after that about books and magazines she'd read, things she'd wanted to seen. She was rambling on about even personal things, stories from her childhood, dreams, ambitions. Eventually, though, it came to a point where she wasn't even aware she'd stopped talking anymore. She only came to this realization when she almost rammed into him, having blindly fallen into step from behind him.

"We're here," He grumbled, and Caroline assessed her surroundings.

They stood in a dank, lifeless back alley. Not even a single door was present; only damp, crumbling stone. She'd half-expected to see the Eiffel Tower, in all its majesty, rising up above, to a point unforeseeable from her perspective, but there was nothing.

"Wow, um..." She tried - truly tried - to think of something nice to say about the armpit of Paris he'd led her to. The best she managed was pathetic by anyone's standards.

"It's...really...suitable...for what I wore?"

Klaus chuckled softly, and finally, Caroline was able to relax, seeing he had calmed.

"You really believe that, of all the things we could do in Paris, I'd take you to stand in a dark alleyway?"

"Well, we're here, aren't we?"

He chuckled a second time, and without answering her, he turned to the stone walls. She began to question his actions once more, but she was silenced abruptly when his hand disappeared within the confines of one of the stones, as if it had been severed at the wrist. He seemed calm, though, almost as if he were searching for something.

"Esmeralda, come out, come out, wherever you are," He called playfully, and suddenly, he was shoved away from the stone wall with an invisible brute force.

"Niklaus," A thickly accented, feminine voice wafted out from some unknown place, and several of the stones began to dissolve in midair.

Normally, Caroline would've stood there with her mouth open, gaping at the sight. However, after witnessing so many of Bonnie's supernatural displays, she was a tad more experienced in the matter than she had been only a year or so ago.

Where stone and mortar had once been present, Caroline now saw an open door, a caramel-skinned woman standing in the midst of it. She raised her eyebrow at the site of Caroline, and it became apparent to her that Klaus didn't typically bring visitors with him to this place. It almost made her giddy, to think that she was some sort of exception to him. An exception to the rules, his rules.

As Klaus came to stand at her side once again, he brushed off his dress shirt and smiled up at who Caroline could only presume was Esmeralda.

"So kind of you to allow me in," He started, heading towards the doorway, but Esmeralda stood her ground firmly.

"Not so fast, Niklaus," She said dryly, assessing Caroline from afar. "Who's the pretty little girl you have with you?"

"This is Caroline," Klaus informed her, placing both hands on Caroline's shoulders and pushing her forward gently.

"Caroline." Esmeralda wrinkled her nose in distaste but regardless, held out her hand. She seemed satisfied as Caroline took it. "She's like you." She then addressed Caroline directly for the first time. "My name is Esmeralda, but if you have the pleasure of earning a place as a friend in my book, you can call me Ezzie."

"If I start calling you Ezzie right now, will you just go ahead and check me off as one of the good guys?" Caroline was joking, but her stomach had formed a knot of nerves. She was positive Ezzie could sense it.

Nonetheless, Ezzie laughed sharply, and gestured for them both to enter. It instantly put Caroline at a reluctant ease, and Klaus followed her inside.

Inside, the atmosphere instantaneously took on a much different vibe and energy. Something so potent that it seemed almost as though it could be touched. Two small passageways opened up on either side of the room, one leading out, and, with a very skewered view, Caroline could see that it led to an upper level. Wooden bookcases lined the wall, filled to the point of almost bursting with yellowed papers and leather-bound books. A very rustically-styled rug was spread across the floor, with long golden tassels. A short, light tan wooden table rested atop, adjacent to a desk constructed of the same material in the closest corner. More books were spread over it, along with small leather bags, charms of all sorts, and vials. From the ceiling hung crystals and in the very center, a deep crimson dream catcher. On all the shelves were more of the knickknacks that were present on her desk, and an entire shelf dedicated exclusively to tall bottles of herbs.

"It really works, you know," Ezzie said in her thick accent, catching Caroline looking at the dream catcher. It was apparent that it was intended to be the centerpiece. "Only if you do it right, though."

Caroline found the place far more homely than anything Bonnie had ever managed to whip up, which included her basement and garage. The least 'magical' of all had been Caroline's living room.

"So, Caroline, you have a witch friend? Bonnie?" Ezzie asked, and Caroline furrowed her brow, whipping around to face Ezzie. Then she relaxed, though, realizing that her knowing that her friend's name was Bonnie, and that she was a witch, must have been pure witch-y intuition.

Any sort of ease she'd felt instantly dispersed, though. If Ezzie could uncover that much, who knew what else she was getting a reading on? Did she know that Caroline had dreamed of Klaus last night? That'd she'd woken up, desperately trying to recover the dream again?

"It's a little more complicated than that, love," Klaus said, and Caroline turned to face him as he spoke. Only then, she realized his lips weren't moving. _He was in her head._

_Get out! _She cried, trying to establish any sort of wall she could.

_He's right about it not being simple, you know._

She turned to Ezzie, practically in hysterics at this point. _Get him out!_

_I would, but my magic isn't powerful enough to influence that sort of spell. This is a place of magic, and consequently, a place where things are not as they seem. Many strange things take place here, as the barrier between the underworld and the physical world is at its thinnest. One of the many things that comes with that is the barrier between minds being so thin that telepathy is a real possibility, even for mortals. That said, try to control your thoughts.__  
_

_You dreamed about me? _Klaus's voice sounded in her head, and if she hadn't been worried that her arm would go straight through him, she would've struck him.

_Don't act so smug._

_Niklaus, play nice.  
_

Ezzie shot Klaus a warning glance, and he held up his hands, as though he were some sort of innocent victim. Much to her irritation, though, Caroline found that his thoughts were not open to probing - somehow, he was influencing what he projected to the two females in the room.

_It's a learned skill, love. One that may take you a few centuries to pick up._

_I hate you.  
_

_Not according to your dreams.  
_

"Unfortunately, the hybrid is correct. You are projecting your entire thought process, Caroline. Fortunately for you, however, it is impossible to further probe your mind after your immediate thoughts." Ezzie sighed, retrieving a book from the top shelf of one of her bookcases. She glanced at Klaus guardedly. "What is it you came for, Niklaus?"

"I came for Caroline's sake. You wouldn't happen to have a remedy for heartbreak, would you, Esmeralda?"

"Klaus!" Caroline jabbed him with her elbow, but he didn't flinch in the slightest, only shooting a bemused glance her way.

"I may have something prepared. Tyler was his name?"

"Something quick, please. We haven't got all night, Esmeralda."

"It was," Caroline interjected.

"Is that all you came for?" Esmeralda wore a mock pout as she handed Caroline a vial of pretty, rose-colored liquid. Caroline only assumed she was to drink, and Ezzie nodded approvingly as she did. "I thought my favorite hybrid might pay a more worthwhile visit."

She handed a small leather pouch from her desk drawer to Klaus, and as he tucked it into his jacket, they shared an exchange that Caroline could only begin to imagine.

"You're a witch, right?" Caroline managed to break the pair up, a tinge of jealousy shooting throughout her body. As much as Caroline despised it, it was practically natural, and she couldn't help but to despise any female that Klaus so much as glanced at, nonetheless one whom he could share a supernatural bond with.

_Jealousy doesn't suit you, _He commented, clearing his throat.

Ezzie rolled her eyes, but more or less ignored his commentary. "I prefer something more...vanilla. A caster, if you will."

"Bonnie used to do my tarot...fortunes...stuff like that." Caroline was beginning to get excited. She'd never really had anybody more credible than an inexperienced Bonnie or a mall fortune teller read her palms. "Could you...maybe...?"

"Consider it a favor, for a friend of dear Niklaus." She narrowed her eyes in Klaus's direction, approaching him. "Out. This is between the girl and I."

He rolled his eyes theatrically, but regardless, he was out the door in a matter of seconds.

"Come." She gestured for Caroline to follow her lead to the upper floor of the residence. "Work is to be done."

* * *

When Caroline bounded down the stairs to the outside, Klaus was already waited, leaned up against the stone wall and tapping his foot. Ezzie remained in the doorway, leaning out only slightly so that she could see him.

"That took a long time. Longer than I expected." He seemed annoyed, in a way his tapping foot reflected.

"Niklaus? May I speak to you for a moment? Privately?"

Caroline was far too busy studying the gorgeous new gemstone that hung from her throat, and didn't detect the note of urgency in Ezzie's voice. From her earlier session, she could only assume that Ezzie intended for her to stay outside. She was correct.

She barely paid any attention as sharp, angry voices arose from within the residence, but snapped to attention when Klaus stomped back out into the open night air.

"It was nice to meet you, Caroline," Ezzie called, but when Caroline turned, the doorway had already faded back to stone.

"You, too," She called, only hoping that Ezzie could hear her. For all she knew, Ezzie was standing right there, an invisible part of the endless stone walls.

"Are we going somewhere?" She asked Klaus. "Is everything alright?"

"Eiffel Tower," He snapped. Caroline instinctively knew not to press on, and merely followed behind. She was sure that he had enough good judgment to express discretion with what and what not to tell her.

She bounded along behind him, hoping he'd calm by the time they reached the Eiffel Tower. If only she'd thought to ask.

* * *

_**Author's Note: It's been such a long time since I last updated. Since last year! I was really disappointed by the lack of reviews, but I'm hoping for a better outcome now that I've started to pick up a budding plot. I really hoped you enjoyed my injection of Ezzie! Fun fact: Esmeralda was a consideration for my name when I was born. If this fic was a movie, I think I'd choose Zoe Saldana to play Ezzie. Regardless, reviews motivate me to write! Review, review, review! I really hope you liked this update!**_

_**xoxo - Hope  
**_

_**If you want updates and sneak peeks, find me on Tumblr at themagicalgirlnextdoor!  
**_


End file.
